Historic First Phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Polls Witnesses Impressive Voter Turnout

The first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls saw a brisk start with long queues at various booths. This marks the first election since the abrogation of Article 370 and the first in the region's Union Territory setup. Over 23 lakh voters will decide the fate of 219 candidates across 24 constituencies.

Long queues were seen at several booths early Wednesday as voting in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls began on a brisk note, officials said.

The assembly polls -- the first since the abrogation of Article 370 -- are being held in three phases. Polling is underway in 24 constituencies spread over seven districts of the Union Territory.

This is the maiden assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir in a Union Territory setup and the first assembly poll in a decade.

The Centre abrogated Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh -- on August 5, 2019. A voter turnout of 11.11 per cent was recorded in the first two hours of voting, officials said.

Voters, especially women and the elderly, lined up outside polling booths from early morning, with many arriving before voting began at 7 am. Officials noted that voting gathered pace and queues grew longer as the morning progressed.

Voters expressed enthusiasm about electing assembly members after a significant gap. Bashir Ahmad from Kulgam stated, 'Today is a festival of democracy. We are electing our representatives after 10 years. A democratically elected government is better than other governments.'

Ahmad also highlighted that the primary issue for voters was the restoration of statehood.

'Apart from development, we are voting against what has been done to us. Our statehood has been snatched away. This is a vote against all that,' he said.

All arrangements, including security, are in place, officials confirmed, with polling proceeding smoothly.

In this voting phase, over 23 lakh voters will decide the fate of 219 candidates, including 90 Independents, across 24 assembly segments in seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

Prominent candidates include CPI (M)'s Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, AICC's Ghulam Ahmad Mir, National Conference's Sakina Itoo, and PDP's Sartaj Madni, among others.

The polling is scheduled to end at 6 pm, with the subsequent phases on September 25 and October 1 and the vote count on October 8.

(With inputs from agencies.)